Bill 24 passed and the Agricultural Land Commission

Bill 24 passed in the B.C. legislature at around 5:40 p.m. today.Things will be much better because the people of B.C. became engaged on behalf of the Agricultural Land Commission and ALR. Now the government will be watched every step of the way. Even this low point for British Columbia has a silver lining.

In a remarkable press release yesterday, Stan Vander Waal (left), chair of the BC Agriculture Council, had expressed the BCAC’s disappointment. In short, the BCAC does not trust the people pushing the bill into law without consultation, and they will attempt the difficult task of making the effects of Bill 24 be consistent with what the intents should have been. Kudos to the BCAC.

I and the Garden City Conservation Society have taken on the role of being supportive of the Agricultural Land Commission, including the Thank You, Richard Bullock online card, which one can still sign. This afternoon I sent a 27-page PDF version of the card—with over 700 signatures—to Richard Bullock (right) and the ALC. We later sent it to all MLAs. Here are the messages.

Something wonderful has happened. Over seven hundred citizens all over British Columbia paused for a few minutes of gratefulness. They thought about what Richard Bullock, as chair of the Agricultural Land Commission, has so faithfully done for us all, and they thought about the commissioners and staff who have teamed with him. Then they signed our online card to say Thank You. Please join us in thanking Richard Bullock and the ALC Team.

Thank you!
Jim Wright Garden City Conservation Society
Based in Richmond and serving B.C. and beyond

Notes: The society welcomes all who have signed to consider themselves Friends of Garden City.

We have included Harold Steves by cc. Harold, happy 77th birthday, the start of something better.

There are 706 names, representing at least 703 people giving thanks from around B.C. and beyond. (There are two possible duplicates, and one person seems to have been trying out the signing mechanism.)

Watched the debates. I was disgusted with the process. This isn’t democracy at all, this is merely a ruse. I spoke with MLA Gibson last night around 6pm and he told me that the Bill will pass. What the hell ? No need to debate since the decision is already made. I have nothing but contempt for the sham. The members of the Liberal Caucaus simply voted because they’re a “gang” and they vote together. We aren’t represented at all.

Furthermore, Thomas, the talking points fool the public. The public were told again and again that Bill 24 strengthened farmland protection and independence of the Agricultural Land Commission. The amendments in the bill, which is now an act, did the opposite to the talking-points messages. However, hardly anyone would read the bill, the talking points get reported, public outrage gets dampened, and democracy gets thwarted.